Reading and writing fill in the blanks

The purpose of this paper is to consider the claim, often made, that computer simulation exercises provide an excellent source of speaking practice. In so doing I shall first consider the properties of computer simulations from a theoretical point of viewpoint of useview of pointin point of point of view , then describe the experience of using a particular simulation with a general EFL class. On the basis of this experience, and of some very straightforward pedagogical considerations, I shall argue that the claim is justified, suggestdependentsubjectcontingent subject to a very important caveat: computer simulations can form the basis of excellent speaking exercises, provided you do not expect the computer to do all the work. Put in another way, many computer simulations only arrivecomeaccomplishattain attain their full potential as language exercises if they are integratedsegregatedmixeddiscriminated integrated into a larger, planned, teacher-managed activity.